17. The Afterparty
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE AFTERPARTY
I had to be high. Drunk? Dreaming?
There was a lot I still had to process. The party, for one. Meeting Riel’s mom. What he said about his family not trusting me. That was sure to come up again sooner or later, especially given that… Riel and I were dating now? But I could worry about that whenever; right now, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
What was I thinking, agreeing to let him pierce me on a whim?
I've done some crazy things in my life. Not that crazy, but as crazy as anyone would with the same resources and opportunities I’ve had. Having a fae prince pierce my nips would be an unbeatable highlight—that is, if I managed to go through with it. I half-suspected I’d lose all my bravado the moment I saw Riel again, but for now, all I could think about was getting his hands on me. Thanks, gutter brain.
As I changed into something more comfortable, I recalled the shiver-inducing words he spoke to me: I know that our respective situations make things complicated, but I hope that we can overlook that. I hope that we can continue to speak on equal terms and get to know each other further. And I hope that you will allow me to court you. Perhaps, someday, we might be able to be more than we are now .
Yeah, there really wasn’t any misinterpreting that, even for me. Gah, I had goosebumps. Not for the first time, I missed my gaming buddies and my bodyguards. Chris, especially, would absolutely die if he knew what was going on right now. At least I had Luenki to talk to now when I needed someone, but… it wasn’t quite the same.
I sat on the edge of my bed and fidgeted. A quick glance at the window told me I probably had another hour or two until sunset, but eyeballing it was far from an exact science. What I wouldn’t give for a clock . I didn’t miss too many things from Earth, but technology was probably the biggest one. Well, technology and pizza. Meditating, board games, and appreciating nature were fun and all, but I missed being able to pass the time with apps or TV streaming services. I took that for granted, didn’t I?
Closing my eyes, I began the grounding exercises that helped me get into a meditative mindset. It had been a little while since the last time I tried. If I thought about it too much, I started to feel guilty that I still hadn’t made any progress toward accessing mana . But as far as I was concerned, I had bigger fish to fry. Or, more attractive fish, anyway. If it was meant to happen, it would. In the meantime, it was better to focus on things that lay within my control.
When I opened my eyes again, the sun was not much lower in the sky. I groaned aloud and threw myself onto my belly, splaying my hand flat against the bedding. My options were few. I could keep trying to pass the time with meditation, but with my excitement at the level it was, I doubted I’d be able to achieve the right headspace. My room was spotless, so anxious cleaning was out of the question. I’d already refolded all of my clothes in the armoire a dozen times over the last couple of months. And I didn’t feel like working out right now either.
I could take a bath? That was a good idea. I’d be alone with Riel, after all. Who’s to say things wouldn’t go further than a piercing? If there was any chance I might end up naked, I should ensure I was fresh and clean. Oh, God, was he the kind of guy who reciprocated? Was oral sex even socially acceptable here? Maybe I was getting a little ahead of myself. We hadn’t even done anything yet, and I was freaking out. This did not bode well for me.
I’d made an effort to be thorough during my bath. Just in case , I kept telling myself. When I emerged from the bathroom, smelling like flowers and gleaming pink from all the scrubbing, the sun was beginning to set. I tossed my towel onto the bed and went to pick out another outfit. Eventually, I settled on a light, flowy top and shorts. Was it a little revealing? Maybe. But I was feeling daring tonight.
I paced until the sun was out of view, then waited a little longer. When my room finally fell dark, I made for the door, taking a moment to check the hallway before heading out. The lights had dimmed and the sounds of music and conversation had quieted, hopefully signaling the event was over. I didn’t see any guests or guards, which I took as a good sign.
Letting the door close behind me, I padded along the corridor toward Riel’s room on the other side of the castle. The journey was quick, but my heart pounded the whole way. Luckily, I didn’t run into anyone. It was wild how the castle just shut down at night. Not that I saw many people around during the day—they all stayed out of my way—but still, it was almost spooky. At the White House, someone was always around.
Was it that the security wasn’t on the same level here? Or, maybe, if everyone could use magic, there wasn’t any need for personal guards. Riel and Solois were able to go where they pleased without accompaniment, after all, and they were royalty .
I didn’t have time to ruminate on the thought, as I arrived at Riel’s door before long. There was no way to prepare myself for what was to come, but I breathed in and out before knocking.
The door opened almost instantly, flooding the hallway in cool light. Riel stood at an awkward angle, as though he’d rushed to the door and nearly fallen over in his haste to open it. He still wore his silver outfit from the party, although he had since removed the corset piece around his middle. The tie at his collar and the first few buttons of his shirt were also undone, revealing a glimpse of lickable skin. Did I catch him about to change?
“Hi,” I whispered. Shit, I wasn’t drooling, was I?
“Hi.” Riel’s disarming grin had my nervousness melting away. He moved aside to let me in. “I was just getting ready for you. You can take a seat while I finish setting up.”
“Oh, you’re fine,” I assured him. So fine. More than fine . I stepped past him and into the room. His room was, of course, larger than mine, and quite a bit nicer too. There was a fireplace on the far side, with a woven rug and cozy-looking chaise in front of it. Sets of shelves covered in books and assorted knick-knacks lined the walls on either side.
He also had a desk in one corner. In the opposite corner was an armoire similar to mine with a large, ornate chest beside it. There was an excessively large bed, which had four carved wood posters and gauzy curtains like something out of a preteen’s dream journal, with another chest at the foot of it. The room was bathed in cool light from a strange glass lantern set on one of the shelves.
My wandering gaze caught sight of a set of long, slim needles nestled in a cloth booklet on the bedside table, and I almost hesitated. Almost. “How was the rest of the party?” I asked instead, staring down the needles and willing myself to not turn tail.
“Uneventful.” Riel’s voice was muffled. I adjusted my line of sight to see that he had disappeared into the bathroom, the sliding door left open a few inches. Although I couldn’t see inside, I caught a hint of that fresh, woodsy, uplifting cologne he wore. “My mother was disappointed that you left early,” Riel’s voice continued.
I winced. “Oh, I’m sorry. I hope that didn’t cause any problems.”
“No, there was enough going on to keep her distracted.” The light in the bathroom blinked out, and Riel emerged in a more casual outfit, one hand held as if holding something.
“What have you got there?” I asked, pivoting to face him.
“The jewelry.” Riel opened his hand to show me a flash of silver. “Would you be more comfortable on the bed or the chair? I leave it up to you.”
I eyed the bed. Sitting there felt too intimate somehow. “Maybe the chair,” I muttered, trying to ignore the little voice in my head that called me a coward. I made for the chaise in front of the fireplace and poured myself into the seat.
“I thought you might not want something too heavy, so I made some changes to a pair of my earrings.” Riel went to collect his tools from the bedside table. “They should be small enough that they won’t interfere with anything, and you can wear them daily without discomfort.”
“Ah, thank you.”
This was my chance. If I wanted to take the plunge, it was now or never. I straightened my back and folded my hands in my lap, picturing a confident version of me that always asked for what she wanted and didn’t think about being awkward or regretting it later. “Actually, I gave it some thought, and I think I want ones like yours. The, uh… the ones on your chest.”
“Hoops? I can modify them, but it might take some getting used to. Hoops are a bit heavier and can get caught on things more easily.”
“Oh, that’s fine…” My cheeks warmed, but I forged forward. “I meant… as in, rather than pierce my ears, I was thinking I might like you to pierce my, ah, my nipples. ”
Silence followed my request.
“If that’s okay with you,” I hurried to add.
Riel kept his expression controlled, but I could see the gears struggling to turn in his head. “Is that so?” he said at last, the question coming out more like a statement.
I nodded, my hands fidgeting in place. Did it bother him? The last thing I wanted was to turn him off, especially when we’d come so far toward understanding each other. I was on the edge of telling him not to worry about it and just do my ears after all.
“Both of them?” he clarified, sounding dubious.
“Well, yeah,” I mumbled. “What’s the point of just piercing one?”
Riel looked down at the earrings in his hand. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.” He swayed on his feet as though he wasn’t sure what he was doing before swiveling around and heading for the bedside table. I watched his back with bated breath as he fiddled with the jewelry in his hand. Once he was pleased with whatever changes he made, he turned back to me.
“Then, uh…” He made a vague gesture in the air between us with his free hand. I blinked, not understanding, and he made a humming sound in his throat. “If you want to…” A meaningful inclination of his head finally got the message across.
“Oh! Um, should I…? I guess I’ll…”
My hands jumped up to the hem of my shirt. Riel averted his eyes, busying himself with sorting out his tools. I couldn’t describe why, but a sort of giddy excitement washed through me upon seeing his reaction. I felt… powerful. Like I was the one that held all the cards.
I drew my shirt over my head and dropped it onto the floor beside the chaise in one smooth motion. My hands then moved to my back to unclasp my bra, and when my gaze came up, I locked eyes with Riel from across the room. He hadn’t moved, but a slight crease had appeared between his brows, as if he hadn’t thought I would actually go through with it .
In a sensual move rather unlike me, I took my time with the bra, holding it to my chest and creeping one strap down my arm. Riel’s eyes followed the movement. Switching hands, I pulled the other strap down. Once my second arm was free, I slipped the article of clothing out from underneath the hand that still preserved my modesty and dropped it on top of the shirt that lay discarded at my feet. Riel’s eyes narrowed.
Maintaining eye contact, I wet my lips and let my arm fall, baring my breasts to his gaze. There was a moment of silence. Neither of us moved, both of us waiting to see what the other would do next. Maybe it was just my perception, but the temperature in the room felt like it had risen several degrees since we began this dance.
Riel was the first to break. He brought a hand up to hide his face and angled his body away from me. When he spoke, his voice had taken on a rough quality. “Sorry,” he said. “Just… one moment.”
I gave him a moment. Then another. Sitting there exposed, every second that passed eroded more of my courage. I squirmed in place and eyed my shirt on the floor. Maybe this had been a bad idea. Maybe I made him uncomfortable by being so forward. The fae women were more demure, after all. And they were religious. Maybe they didn’t do any sexy stuff until after marriage—or their version of it, anyway. Oh, God. Was he trying to figure out how to get out of this without hurting my feelings?
I’d been so deep in thought that when Riel dropped his hand, I jumped in surprise.
“I feel… I need to point out that I’m physically attracted to you. Intensely so,” he asserted. “I’m going to try my best to be respectful of the situation. I don’t want to scare you. If I do anything to make you uncomfortable, at any point, please just let me know.”
My breath left me in a whoosh, followed by a short bark of laughter.
“Oh my God.” I shook my head at Riel’s incredulous look. “ You’re the sweetest thing. That’s good to know, but I don’t think it will be an issue.” Summoning all my newfound confidence, I gestured at my chest and added, “Carry on, then. We haven’t got all night.”
Riel eyed me a moment longer, perhaps to be sure that my mind was made up. Satisfied by whatever he saw in my expression, he swiped the needles from the bedside table and prowled my way. The anticipation redoubled, and I tensed as he closed the space between us in a few long strides. He dropped to his knees an arm’s length away. I couldn’t help but notice that the movement put his face right at nipple height.
“Good?” he asked, keeping his eyes downcast and bringing his hand up to show me two dainty silver loops. I nodded, and he held them out for me to take. When they dropped into my waiting palm, I took the chance to examine them more closely. A delicate trailing vine design was etched into the outside of the metal. They were beautiful.
And they were about to be embedded in my skin. Goosebumps traveled up my arms.
“It may hurt a moment at first,” Riel explained as he selected a needle from the assortment wrapped in cloth. His tone was measured, but I could hear the strain behind his words. “You’ll feel a sharp pinch or sting, but it will be quick. You don’t have to fear infection; I’ve sterilized the metal, and I will close the wound quickly.”
“You have healing magic?” I asked, my voice coming out weirdly breathless.
“Enough for this,” Riel replied, turning to me with the needle in hand. I forced myself to roll my shoulders back even as my instincts screamed at me to curl inward and cover myself. To his credit, Riel remained as steady as a surgeon, even with a faceful of grade-A boobage. He gently took one of the nipple rings from my hand, and I held my breath.
“Ready?” he asked, leaning in.
“Ready.” I turned my gaze up to the ceiling .
The pinch of the needle caused me to inhale sharply.
“All right?” Riel asked immediately.
“All right.” I nodded and began to release the breath I’d been holding. Riel barely twitched, and the second pinch came and went before I even had the chance to fill my lungs again. My chest flushed with warmth in response to the injury. Just as I went to look down, skin brushed against the underside of my right breast, and a strange sensation zipped through both nipples and down my spine.
An embarrassing sound escaped me. My hand shot up to cover my mouth.
“Sorry,” Riel murmured, his shoulders shaking with the effort to hold back laughter as he cleaned off the needle and returned it to its place. “It would seem that my mending is a bit rusty.”
“Did you do that on purpose?” I hissed, face burning with shame.
“I didn’t, actually.” He directed an appreciative glance my way, and his voice dropped low. “But I’d do it again if it meant that you would make another sound like that.”
I froze like a deer in headlights, one hand reaching out to retrieve my top from the floor. Did he just? That went beyond innocent teasing, surely? It was practically a handwritten invitation. All I had to do was let him know that it was okay, that I wanted this.
“Uh… I mean, you could”—my voice cracked, but I cleared my throat and pressed on, my audacity surprising even me—“maybe try it and see?”
Riel responded by placing a hand on the chaise just beside my exposed thigh and leaning forward. Heart pounding, I snatched up my shirt and held it to my chest as if it would protect me.
“Avery,” he said seriously, his face inches from mine, “are you flirting with me?”
“I-I—” I blinked rapidly as no witty answer sprang to mind. My eyes fell involuntarily to his lips. They beckoned to me, smooth and pink and so appetizing that it hurt. All other thoughts faded away. If I seized the moment and kissed him now, would he kiss me back? Would we go even further than that? Did I want us to?
My mouth opened slightly, but I didn’t get the chance to say whatever it was I had intended to, as the lips I had been admiring found mine without prompting. The contact left no room for doubt—it was everything I’d wanted, and everything I hadn’t known I needed. As his lips explored mine with excruciating tenderness, Riel’s hand rose to cradle the side of my face, and I leaned into his touch. The motion caused our noses to bump together.
“Relax,” Riel whispered against my mouth. I felt his lips curve into a smile. I tried to relax, I really did, but my imagination ran wild. Weren’t tongues supposed to be involved? All he did was line my lower lip with feather-light nibbles. The contact was somehow both innocent and provocative, sending shivers through my body to rouse my various pleasure points.
Just as my right hand reached up with the intention to grasp the nape of his neck and demand more, Riel released me and leaned back on his heels. Immediately, I felt the loss, my budding arousal fizzling into frustration.
“You’re not stopping me,” he murmured, studying my expression as if expecting that I would remember some delicate sensibilities I didn’t have and get offended.
“No, I’m not,” I agreed. In case there was still any confusion, I let the shirt between us fall to my lap, exposing my breasts once more. Riel’s eyes dropped. In a flash, he had me pinned to the chaise, his body invading the open space between my thighs. When his lips met mine again, it was with bruising force, all traces of tenderness forgotten. I gasped in surprise and threw my arms around his neck.
His hands wrapped around my ass at the same time his tongue pushed into my mouth, producing an electric jolt of arousal in response. I had trouble forming a coherent thought, but Riel seemed to know what he was doing. His tongue engaged mine in a passionate dance that caused my eyelids to flutter closed. He tasted sweet and zesty, like orange peels or the fae wine. Everywhere he touched, my body burned with a level of need I’d never felt before.
At some point, the sensations overwhelmed me, and I made a sound somewhere between a whimper and a whine. Riel abandoned my mouth. Just as I began to protest, the room spun, and I found myself blinking up at the ceiling with him hovering above me. His knee found the junction of my thighs, providing delicious pressure. I bit back another moan.
“Oh my God,” I squealed in surprise as Riel lowered his head and seized one of my freshly healed piercings between his teeth. Despite the raw hunger that burned in his gaze, he was gentle as he tugged. The unexpected feeling made sparks fly in my groin and my next inhale stutter.
“Good?” Riel asked, the question a throaty rasp.
“Do that again,” I ordered breathlessly, my fingers scrabbling for hold in his silky hair. He chuckled and obeyed, continuing to lavish one breast with his lips and tongue and bringing one hand up to tease the other with his fingers. My hips began to jerk sporadically, seeking more stimulation to push me over the edge. Somehow understanding my wordless request, Riel slid his knee up further, giving me just what I needed.
“Shit, shit,” I whimpered, clutching at the collar of his shirt as I ground against him. The pleasure grew and grew. He kept playing with my nipples, now slick with his saliva, cycling between nips and licks and pinches and tugs that were driving me crazy. Lost to the symphony of sensations, I didn’t notice the impending orgasm until it was upon me. Muscles deep in my abdomen clenched and shuddered, and I let out a soft cry of relief.
For a moment, all I could do was tremble under Riel’s ministrations. Wave after wave of pleasure came and went until slowly, lovingly, he brought me down from the peak, transitioning from the arousing contact to trailing slow, deliberate kisses from breast to shoulder.
As I lay there trying to catch my breath, I meant to say something, but words escaped me. Did I need words? I couldn’t think of anything that mattered enough to say. What did lovers usually say to each other after their first time together? Riel didn’t seem to mind that my brain had turned to soup, still depositing sweet kisses across my skin.
Once I was able to think straight again, I went to sit up with the intention of returning the favor. Riel retreated to the end of the chaise to give me some space. When I scooted forward and reached for him, he stopped me by catching my hand. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Thank you.” Riel pressed my fingers to his lips, his gaze soft and tender. “I’d like to leave things here for tonight. This time with you has already been a gift, and there’s no rush.”
“Oh!” I withdrew my hand and tried to ignore the little pang of hurt. “Yeah… no problem. Next time, then.” Giving an awkward laugh to hide my embarrassment, I tucked a strand of hair out of my face and surreptitiously rooted around the chaise for my shirt.
“I look forward to it,” Riel murmured, his eyes simmering with heat. He dipped down to collect my shirt and bra from the floor and passed them both to me. I opted to pull my shirt over my head and hang on to my bra rather than try to wrestle it on while he watched.
With my important bits covered, I folded my bra in my hands while I racked my brain for the proper thing to say in this situation. “Well, uh… thanks! I appreciate it. The piercings, not the… well, sure, for that too. Thanks for both. That was great.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” Riel replied, the corners of his eyes crinkling with humor.
He stood when I did. I froze in place as he ducked in for another kiss; somehow, it felt different when we were standing. Rather than ravage my lips further, he surprised me by planting a chaste kiss on my cheek. While I tried to make sense of it, he guided me to the door with a hand on my back and made sure the hallway was empty before letting me step out.
“Good night,” he whispered.
“Good night,” I responded, finding it hard to meet his eyes for some reason. I bobbed my head in farewell and pushed on into the darkness without looking back.
No sooner had I reached my room than I threw off my shorts and climbed into bed in just my shirt and panties, not bothering with pajamas. I reached a shaking hand up to one nipple, which still buzzed with sensation, and then up further to touch my lips, where I still felt the phantom touch of Riel’s. An elated grin met my probing fingers.
For the first time in a long while, I slept soundly through the night.